- Date
- April 20, 1991, 16:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Phoenix, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4066JRobinson R22-BETA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910420011679A
- Case key
- 27179
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain main rotor RPM. Factor contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The instructor pilot entered an autorotation while in cruise flight at an altitude of 500 feet above the ground and at an airspeed of 60 knots. The main rotor tachometer decreased below its minimal range for flight when the helicopter entered the autorotation. The instructor pilot continued the autorotative descent until passing 150 feet above ground level before initiating a power recovery. The main rotor RPM did not increase and the aircraft collided with ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4066J
- Reported as
- Robinson R22-BETA
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1506
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 131 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Avcon, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Catalina Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 32
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,261 total · 1,750 in this make and model · 2,115 as pilot in command · 233 in the last 90 days · 84 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DVT, 4 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.